From “13 Reasons Why” To “Facing Your Truth” — Prologue

(The picture is from Netflix website.)
To be honest, I don’t watch TV as often as I used to be.

However, when I heard many of my clients mention a TV show or a movie frequently enough at the same time, it’s my cue to do my homework, which means, “go watch it so that you know what your clients are talking about.”

In the past six months, the “homework” I have been doing is this show, “13 Reasons Why.”

It is tough for me to watch this show. It took me three times to just finish the first episode. I don’t know how people can binge watching this show.

It is challenging because it mirrors many of my clients’ experiences. Even though none of my clients are teenagers, they can understand the feelings of being taken for granted, isolation, don’t belong, being misunderstood, etc. Many of them also have lost someone close due to suicide.

In the last six months, I also went through my grief over losing my two of my family members unexpectedly due to their sudden illness. It made watching this show much more difficult to me.

However, I made up my mind to finish this show. Why? This drama touches two essential issues in my practice: Depression and Sexual Trauma. In spite of different opinions about the show, I see an educational value from this show. By evaluating the plots and the characters in the show, I hope to provide different methods to help all of us to turn to a different direction instead of suicide. I also hope to use this show to clarify the myths about sexual assaults.

“It has to get better, the way we treated each other ad look out for each other. It has to get better somehow.” ~ Clay Jensen, EP. 13

I would love to hear your feedback on your experiences, what’s working and what’s not working, and/or if you alternate the activities, how? Let’s build a community so that no one is left to deal with the depression, anxiety, isolation, etc. alone. As Clay Jensen says: “It has to get better, the way we treated each other ad look out for each other. It has to get better somehow.”

Friendly Reminder
If I have learned something about being a therapist, that is: no one is perfect, and there is no therapist or a friend can be your savior. You have to be your savior no matter what happened. I tell my clients all the time: “If I am not a good match for you as a therapist, by all means, please fire me and go find someone else. At the end of the day, your life is much more important than my feelings.”

Please remember: “YOU ARE IMPORTANT” and don’t let anyone decide whether you are going to seek help or not.If you are in a difficult spot in your life right now, please continue to seek help no matter how many people you have to talk to find that person who can help you.